Vehicle fuel-tank filler-cap lock



:fune 23, 1925.

H. M. GRANT VEHICLE FUEL TANK F-ILLER GAP LOCK Filed March 14, 1922 ATTOQ/VEX ll (l Patented .lune 23, 1925.

HnaBanfr-"ivn-GRANT', ce san' onnrFo'RlNIi-i.

VEEIGBE FUEL-TANK FILLER-CP LGOK.

Application 'ledMarch 14, 1,922. Serial I\To. .543,821.

To all tu'f'iomffzt may conce/rn.'

he it known that-Herinner M. GRANT, a citizen of the United States, residing -at SanDiego, in the county lof SanDiego and State Vof California, :has inventedfa certain new and' useful Vehicle. Fuel-Tank Filler- Cap Lock, of? which the following is a specification.'

My invention relates to vehiclefuel tank filler. capjlocksand more particularly toa device adapted to. lock the cap. to the fuel andthe. objects .ofi'my invention are: list, to provide a device of this class which will eliminate-the losing: or displacing of the cap or the leavinggof the samej at filling stations;v Second, toprovide adeviceof this class which will prevent the cap dropping on the. ground and'therefore prevent unnecessary and objectionable dirt gettinglinto the fuel tank; Tliirchto provide a device of this class which'will neither interfere withr the ready removing off the cap from the opening the tanlnor the filling of said tank; Fourth, to provide a device of this class which will necessitate laying or hanging the cap in close proximity to the opening of the tank; Fifth, to provide a device of this class which is novelly constructed, and Sixth, to provide a device of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, durable, adaptable to allvehicle fuel tanks, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

lVith these and other objects in'view as will appear hereinafter my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a partV of this application in which:

Figure l is a sectional elevational view through the middle of a gasoline tank shoving my device suspended therein and secured to the cap; Fig. 2 is another sectional elevational view of a gas tank taken at a right angle to that of Fig. l showing the cap removed therefrom and suspended on the side thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of my Ydevice partly in section to facilitate the illustration and secured to a conventional fuel tank filler cap. i

ers Q'and l0, nut 1l and a cap'lQ constitute the principal parte and portions of my device.

of so-iney inexpensive light vmaterial which will not. be acted onby the contents of the tank andv is provided with a longitudinal hole iatherein.A The collapsible 'ring 2 consists of Va substantially circular shaped ring portion 2a with loops 2b at the free vends of the wire forming the ringadapted' to be adjusted on the other! portions fof said` ring portion for the pur-pose' of increasing'and r'diiciiiglthe size ofs'aid' ring .portion 2a. ln' :forming the' loop 2Pthe'wire forming the saine' preferablyfleft extending inwardly therefrom as" shown b'y' 2e, thus'providin'g a stop for the upward motion of the ring 5.

The collapsible ring is further provided with a projection 2d extending outwardly from one side thereof and provided with an eye 2E at the extreme end of said projection. The projection 2d of said collapsible ring extends through the hole la provided for that purpose in the float member 1 and secured in position thereto by the 4Cotter pin et and inserted through the eye 2e of said collapsible ring member. Washers 3 are inh terposed between said Cotter pin and said lioat member at one end between the collapsible ring member 2 and the float meinn bei' l at the other. A ring 5 is loosely inserted on the ring portion 2 of said collagsible ring member so that it may be readily. shifted thereon. A. Acable 6 is secured to said ring 5 at one end and to the socket portion "a of the ball member 7 at the other.- Said ball member 7V is provided with a ball portion 7" at the other end tliereof adapted to `fit intok a socket 8a of the bolt and socket member 8 forming a ball and socket joint with the latter. The bolt and socket member 8 is provided with a. polygonal portion 8b at the socket end thereof for holding the same so that the nutil may be readily screwed on to the portion 8C of bolt and socket member. fuel tank filler cap l2 is provided with a The float member ll is .preferably made- The con Ventil hole l2n at the central portion thereof adapted to receive said bolt portion 8c and be clamped thereto. A lock washer 9 is interposed between the head portion of said bolt and socket member and the inner surface of said cap. A gasket washer 10 is interposed between the nut Il and the exterior face of the cap l2 to prevent the contents of the tank thereof escaping.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions I do not wish to be limited lto this particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle fuel tank of a filler cap, a flexible cable secured to said cap, a collapsible ring secured to the free end of said cable and a float secured to said collapsible ring.

2. In a vehicle fuel tank filler cap lock means, `a Vehicle fuel tank, a filler cap adapted to be mounted on the upper side of said tank, an extended member with one end secured to said filler cap, a reducible member secured to the free end of said eX- tended member, and a float secured to said reducible member.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle fuel tank of a filler cap screwed thereon, a ball and socket joint means secured to the under part of said liller cap, a fieXible cable secured to said ball and socket joint means, a collapsible ring secured to the free end of said flexible cable and a float secured to said collapsible ring.

4L. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle fuel tank of4 a filler cap adapted to be secured over the filler opening of said fuel tank and provided with a central hole therein, a bolt and socket member secured to the under side of said filler cap and extending through the holeprovided therein, a ball member secured in the socket portion of said bolt and socket member, a flexible cable secured at its one end to said ball member a yieldable ring reciprocably mounted in the free end of said flexible cable and provided with an extended portion on one side thereof, a float provided with a hole therein adapted to receive and secure therein the extended portion of said yieldable ring.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Diego, California this 9th day of March, 1922.

HERBERT M. GRANT. 

